AMES, Iowa—Even with a once promising season slipping into reverse, some major goals remain within reach for Iowa State.

The Cyclones (5-5, 2-4 Big 12) can still get to a bowl. They can still secure a winning season. After back-to-back seasons of 3-9 and 2-10, those would be notable achievements.

“Our goal this whole season has been to get to a bowl game and win it,” center Reggie Stephens said Monday. “We still have an opportunity to do that.”

Iowa State hosts Colorado on Saturday, then finishes the regular season at Missouri. One more victory makes the Cyclones eligible for a bowl bid, but they might have to win both games to secure an invitation.

To make that happen, though, they need to pick it up on both sides of the ball.

Iowa State, which has lost two straight, has scored only one touchdown in each of its last three games. The defense helped the Cyclones pull out a victory in the first game of that stretch, 9-7 at Nebraska, but that same unit was gashed for 331 rushing yards in Saturday’s 34-8 loss to Oklahoma State.

Even punter Mike Brandtner is struggling now and he was one of the team’s most consistent performers during the first half of the season.

“We’ve got two games left, so we’re trying to get two wins,” safety James Smith said. “Both of them would be nice, but we’ve got to come back and work hard. Colorado’s a good team, Missouri’s a good team. They’re not going to give it to us easy.”

The offense has been stymied in part by injuries and illness. Quarterback Austen Arnaud missed two games because of a bruised throwing hand. Running back Alexander Robinson has been slowed by a groin injury and missed a game. Stephens, who makes the calls for the offensive line, missed a game after having his appendix removed.

All three were back for the Oklahoma State game, however, and the Cyclones still managed just 242 yards and didn’t score until the fourth quarter.

“It was a lack of execution on the offensive line,” Stephens said. “We take full responsibility for it, for all the negative plays. We just haven’t been getting hat on hat.”

Offensive line coach Bill Bleil said Saturday’s game was the worst his unit has played all season. But he expects to see improvement from the entire offense this week.

“The 11 people we’re putting on the field, that thing’s kind of been in turmoil there. It’s never been the same group for about four weeks now,” Bleil said. “Hopefully, hopefully, we’re kind of over that.

“We’re over the sickness, we’re over the emergency appendectomies, we’re over the bruised hands. I think we can move forward.”

Playing for the first time in three weeks, Arnaud completed 14 of 27 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. He also threw three interceptions and was sacked three times.

“His timing could have been better, but at the same time, considering he hasn’t played in two weeks, I thought it could have been worse than it was,” wide receiver Marquis Hamilton said. “I feel like he’s going to get more in rhythm, more in a groove as the weeks go on.”

Before playing Oklahoma State, Iowa State had given up 200 yards rushing only twice. Oklahoma State’s Keith Toston ran for 206 yards by himself, found holes everywhere and wasn’t touched on a 17-yard touchdown run.

“We’re going to get back to the fundamentals of tackling and gap assignments,” linebacker Fred Garrin said. “All 11 people getting to the ball and wrapping him up. That’s what we’re going to look forward to on Saturday.”

Brandtner’s struggles began in the second half of the Nebraska game. He has averaged just 31.4 yards a punt since then, including kicks of 19, 21, 22 and 24 yards.

“He has had a couple that have come off the side of his foot in the last two, three games, but his consistency will come back,” Bleil said. “He’ll snap back.”

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